Hidden Gems | January

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Welcome to this month's Hidden Gems challenge!

Hidden Gems is a fantastic way to plow through those mountains of books claiming space in your house or e-reader. I have found that this challenge produces some fun group interaction as well, because someone else chooses which book you’ll read next.

If you sign up, you'll be matched up with a Hidden Gems partner. You will choose a book from the list your partner designates which you have already read and cannot believe your partner hasn’t read yet. Your partner will do the same for you with the list you designate. The point is to find that “Hidden Gem” that you think they’ll love… because you adored it when you read it!

Let us know which books you choose for each other. When you finish reading your gem, let us know what you thought about it. Perhaps your Hidden Gem might find its way to someone else’s wish list!

Match-ups will be created on the 10th of the month. Please choose books for each other by the 13th.

Sign up by telling us which list you’d like your partner to choose from.

Happy reading, friends!

[Brittany]

I'm in! Please choose 2 or 3 books for me to pick from off of my "To Read Soon" shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Sarita]

I’m in - I’m on my app so can’t add the shelf links, but any unread books is in the mix - please choose 3-4.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

I'm in! Please choose 3-4 from my to read or physical book shelves.

[Missy]

I’m in. Please choose 1-3 from my hidden gems shelf.

[Christine]

I'm in. I need to read more Christian Fantasy so if you can choose one from them. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Winter]

In! Choose a few from my 2022 TBR Shelf! <3
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

I'm in! Please give me at least 2 options from my hidden-gems shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Loraine]

I'm in: Please give me 2 or 3 options from my hidden gems shelf.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Katrina]

I'm in! Please give me a couple options from my kindle-tbr shelf:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Lauren]

I'm in. :) You'll have to friend to see, (or do a temp visual) but here is the link, 2-4 books are fine:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Caroline]

It's been few years since I did HG :)

I'm in! Please choose from my cfd-hg shelf.

[Charlene]

I’m in please pick 3-4 from the following shelf’s

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Shash]

I'm in! Please choose 2-3 from my hidden gems shelf.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Sign-ups are now closed. Match-ups coming momentarily.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Here are this month's match-ups. Remember, the number next to your partner's name is the message number in this thread in which their preferred list may be found. Please choose books for each other by January 13. Happy reading!

Welcome back, Caroline! I'm so glad you're jumping back in.

Loraine (9) - Charlene (13)
Lauren (11) - Christine (6)
Kate (8) - Andrea (16)
Sarita (3) - Katrina (10)
Brittany (2) - Missy (5)
Shash (14) - Winter (7)
Staci (4) - Caroline (12)

Kate, my shelf is here.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Kate, here are some options for you. I'm about to reread the first one because I adored it the first time around. The other two are ones I rated 4 stars last calendar year.

[Brittany]

Hi Missy,
You have some books on your list that are some of my favorites, so it was hard to choose only 3. Here are three that I really loved and they are all very different from each other:

[Melina]

Just missed out, but I’m following along to see what books you all read that I need to add to my list! Ha ha! Happy reading y’all!

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

Thanks, Andrea!
I'm going to go with .

I have 3 options for you, though it was very difficult to narrow down your list for sure:
, ,

[Katrina]

Hi Sarita,

I looked through a few of your to read lists and would like to suggest the following choices I loved:

[Missy]

Hi Brittany -

I am going to go with Elinor: A Riveting Story Based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke


For you I choose: , , and STONE (I couldn't find the cover)

[Winter]

Hey Shash! Here are my picks for ya!
>I really need to read the rest of this series!
>Haven't read anything by this author yet, but I've heard good things!
> I ADORE K.M. Shea's books! This is actually one of the only two that I haven't read yet.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Melina wrote: "Just missed out, but I’m following along to see what books you all read that I need to add to my list! Ha ha! Happy reading y’all!"

Do we have a volunteer for choosing books for Melina?

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

Sure! Let me know what shelf to pick from and how many options you'd like, Melina!🙂
Also, I'll have to add you as a friend to see your shelves, so I've sent that request.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thanks, Kate!

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

Happy to help!

[Christine]

Lauren I have 2 that I have loved

*I saw you have the Guncle on your list to read. You must read this book! Awesome. But its not Christian so I picked these other 2 for you. Just to let you know!!

[Melina]

Thank you Kate! I have quite a few in my to read ASAP list if you’d like to recommend any of those! https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

Here are 3 to choose from, Melina:
, ,
Happy reading!🙂

[Brittany]

Missy wrote: "Hi Brittany -

I am going to go with Elinor: A Riveting Story Based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke


For you I choose: , [bookco..."

Thank you, Missy! I'm not sure which one I am going to read just yet. All 3 are ones I have been really looking forward to.

[Melina]

Kate wrote: "Here are 3 to choose from, Melina:
, ,
Happy reading!🙂"

Yay! Thank you! I believe I’ll go with The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. I have it ready to read in Libby!

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Thanks, Kate! I'm not sure yet which one I'm in the mood for or need the most urgently for challenges. But I'll choose soon. ;)

[Lauren]

Christine wrote: "Lauren I have 2 that I have loved

*I saw you have the Guncle on your list to read. You must read this book! Awesome. But its not Christian so I picked these other 2 for you. Just to let you know!!"

I'm able to get right now through Hoopla, so I'm going to start with that one.

I love Morgan Busse, and I know her sister (that's how I got introduced). So I'll try to get hers.

I am 20th in line at my library for Guncle so I can't wait to see read it.

Unfortunately I haven't read any on yours, but I'm familiar with the first one so I'm recommending that to you. The second one I thought was interesting.

and

Actually, I added Assassin's Apprentice, Rain and Fawkes, they all sounded so interesting.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Caroline selected for me:


My pick for her:


Happy reading all!

[Sarita]

Katrina wrote: "Hi Sarita,

I looked through a few of your to read lists and would like to suggest the following choices I loved:

[bookc..."

Thanks Katrina, not sure which one I will be reading yet, but looking forward to all of these.

[Sarita]

Katrina, I stopped looking at your shelves after page 5, already had a few great choices:

[Missy]

Brittany wrote: "Missy wrote: "Hi Brittany -

I am going to go with Elinor: A Riveting Story Based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke


For you I choose: [bookcover:Show Me a Marriage of Convenience|5484..."

Brittany - I chose Elinor because that is a book on one of my challenges for this year. Check! But it may be into February before I get to it, I am concentrating on Gone With the Wind right now (959 pages) 🙄

[Katrina]

Sarita wrote: "Katrina, I stopped looking at your shelves after page 5, already had a few great choices:


Thanks so much, Sarita! I am going to choose the first one you suggest -


I will keep the rest of them on my radar to read sooner than later as well. Happy Reading!

[Loraine]

Charlene wrote: "I’m in please pick 3-4 from the following shelf’s

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list......"

Charlene: Here are my choices for you. All 5 star reads for me!

[Charlene]

Thanks Loraine! I’m a mood reader so I’m going to wait until I come to read to decide which one I will read but I will keep you posted :)

For you I pick I enjoyed this series. I haven’t read these but I enjoy this author and this author is the author of the month so I thought 2 birds and all that :)

[Christine]

Lauren wrote: "Christine wrote: "Lauren I have 2 that I have loved

*I saw you have the Guncle on your list to read. You must read..."

I can't wait to read this book and thank you for picking it out for me. I was going to read it this month anyways so now I really have a reason. Whenever you can get Secret in the Midst. I really thought it was an excellent read. I have the book and wish I could give it to you to read but it just to bad I can't!! I hope you enjoy Jody Hedlund. Just discovered her and her writing is amazing!!! Enjoy!!

[Loraine]

Charlene wrote: "Thanks Loraine! I’m a mood reader so I’m going to wait until I come to read to decide which one I will read but I will keep you posted :)

For you I pick I enj..."

I will choose:

but I hope to get to the other two as well!

[Shash]

Hi Winter!

For you, I chose
- I love this series!!
- Another great series!
And if you aren't in a fairy tale mood
- One of my favorite authors

I hope you enjoy whichever one you read!

[Shash]

Winter wrote: "Hey Shash! Here are my picks for ya!

Thanks Winter! I'm going to read

[Winter]

^-^ Enjoy!

These are wonderful picks! I think I'll go with either depending on my mood. ;)

[Sarita]

Katrina wrote: "Sarita wrote: "Katrina, I stopped looking at your shelves after page 5, already had a few great choices:


Thanks so much, Sarita! I am going to choose the first one you suggest - [bookcover:Knox|..."

I loved this series, hope you enjoy them as well.

[Caroline]

Staci wrote: "Caroline selected for me:


My pick for her:


Happy reading all!"

It was a powerful read - a real gem! I was emotionally invested in the contemporary part since I am a parent of soon-to-be teenage son.

Thanks Staci for choosing this gem for me.

[Brittany]

I ended up reading and I really loved this story! Thank you, Missy, for choosing it as one of my book options.

[Missy]

Brittany wrote: "I ended up reading and I really loved this story! Thank you, Missy, for choosing it as one of my book options."

I am glad you enjoyed it Brittany. I am still working on "Elinor", it is very interesting so far. I have been concentrating on another book most of the month.